Thanks to all readers and especially to those who have taken the time to give me feedback.
All For Jesus: Thanks for #100 (and all your previous reviews as well). I appreciate you. I had recently watched The Sound of Music and the idea just hit me.
The Red Fedora: Yup. I figure JARVIS has the same weird sense of humor Tony does.
Loki'sArmy0602: Thank you. Clearly, I like them, too. Here's your update.
iammarvelgirl: Thanks. New chapter ready. Hope you like
Qweeb: Appreciate your review
TT: Thank you for reading and responding.
Sandy-wmd: Yeah. You're absolutely correct. Tony was intending it as a joke about their consensual bedroom activities, but she kind of took it wrong. That detail was quite clear in my mind, but I didn't realize until after posting that I hadn't exactly made it clear in what I wrote. I figured someone would catch it and you did. Sorry. And I also think Bruce gets tired of people tiptoeing around him.
nightmoon1024: Every review has been special to me, whether number 1 or 107. Sometimes, when I'm stuck on where to go with a story, I go back and read past reviews to cheer myself up. I'm glad you're enjoying this. By the way, I also have a Maria/Coulson story going too, if you're interested in that ship (and a Hill/Fury story). I clearly can't make up my mind which duo I prefer.
Much gratitude to followers and favoriters as well. I'm feeling the love.
Stroll 11
In the basement of Avenger's Tower, Maria Hill looked at the pile of stuff that waited by the elevator door, then looked back at her car, still full of more stuff. Funny, she didn't remember getting that much stuff at the time.
She knew she could get it all up to her apartment eventually, making multiple trips, or she could break down and simply ask for help. With a sigh, she pulled out her phone and called Steve.
"Are you busy?" she asked when he answered.
"No. Just sitting here with Bucky working on a crossword puzzle."
Good. If the dog was with him, that meant he was in the tower.
"Is Bucky being helpful?" she asked with a grin.
"Not really. When I ask his opinion, he generally suggests 'woof' and that just doesn't usually fit. Would you like to come and give me a hand?" he asked.
"Actually," she told him, "I was hoping that you might be able to help me."
She heard noise over the line as he moved. "Sure. What do you need?"
"I'm in the tower parking garage and I could use a hand to get some things up to my apartment so I don't have to make so many trips."
"We'll be right down," he told her.
"Actually, would you mind terribly leaving Bucky in your apartment?" She looked over to her car. "Just for now?"
"Not a problem," he assured her. "Anything else?"
She thought for a moment, looking at boxes in her trunk. "Do you happen to have a tool box?"
"I do," he told her. "I'll drop it off in your apartment on my way down."
"And Steve?"
"Yes?"
"Not a word to anyone. Please?"
His deep chuckled came through the speaker. "Yes, ma'am."
"Thanks."
A few short minutes later, the elevator doors opened and the handsome Captain stepped out, walking over to wrap his arms around Maria and kiss her quite soundly.
"Now. What did you need me for?" he asked.
She opened her eyes to gaze up at him. "What?"
With a grin, he leaned down to snatch another kiss.
"You said you needed my help with something," he reminded her. "Getting some things upstairs?"
She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down for another long kiss.
"Toolbox? No Bucky?" he mumbled against her lips before initiating another liplock. "Or something."
"Something, something," she mumbled in reply.
JARVIS's voice interrupted. 'Agent Hill? Pardon the interruption, but something in your vehicle is making strange noises. Should I call for assistance?'
With a sigh, she reluctantly pulled herself out of Steve's embrace. "No, thank you, JARVIS. I'll take care of it."
Steve glanced around, noticing the pet store logo on the bags waiting by the elevator. A broad smile crept across his face.
"This isn't for Bucky, is it?"
"Some of it is," she replied defensively, reaching into one of the bags and pulling out several rawhide bones and a package of pigs ears. "And for Katya and Brody and Calista."
His eyebrows rose as he caught sight of the carrier sitting in the back seat of her car. "And the rest of it, Miss Nope-Never Going to Happen-Not Going to Get a Dog?" he asked slyly.
"And I didn't get a dog," she answered archly, reaching into the vehicle to remove the case. A loud 'YOWL!' echoed through the garage.
"A cat," he commented, pulling the bucket of litter and boxes containing parts of a cat tree out of her trunk and carting them to join the pile by the elevator.
"A cat," she replied.
"You want to tell me how that happened?" he asked.
She sighed again. "I'll tell you all about it once we get everything up to my apartment," she told him.
Working together, they quickly and efficiently got everything into the elevator, then she moved her car to her assigned place, the one marked 'Ice Queen.' She shook her head. Stark. At least he had refrained from his earlier idea. 'Princess Stick Up Her Ass.'
Once they arrived on their floor, they carted the load down the corridor to her apartment. As they passed the door to Steve's home, Bucky came out to welcome them, sniffing curiously at the new items they carried. When he got to the large case Maria was toting, he sniffed, then growled low in his throat, looking up at them for answers. The animal inside hissed loudly. The dog snorted, shaking his head slightly, then turned and walked back into Steve's apartment.
"They don't seem overly impressed with each other," Steve commented.
Maria suddenly looked uncertain. "Maybe this is a mistake," she muttered. "I know absolutely nothing about taking care of an animal."
"You're doing great around Bucky and Katya," Steve encouraged. "I'm sure you'll do fine with Fluffy here, too."
"Definitely not a Fluffy," she corrected. "How did I get myself into this?"
Entering her apartment, she directed him to the still empty spare room.
"You were going to tell me about that," Steve reminded her.
She looked around, deciding where to set up the various equipment, then set the carrier down in the corner. She opened the door, then backed away. Steve leaned down to peek inside and a jet black paw shot out, claws extended and a furious hiss sounded. He jumped back quickly and turned to look at his girlfriend.
"Seems very sweet," he deadpanned.
"Yeah," she agreed. "Long story."
He sat down in one corner with his tool kit and the boxes containing the various parts of the cat condo. "I've got the time."
Maria walked into the kitchen to fill the fresh water fountain, then set it and a filled food bowl on a plastic mat in another corner. Then, she moved to the room's final corner to start setting up the litter box, studying the instructions on the outside of the litter bucket.
"A couple of days ago, Agent Caldwell was in a car accident here in the city," she started.
"I hope he's okay," Steve commented, the concern evident in his voice.
"He's fine, " Maria hastened to assure him. "It was a pretty minor accident, but he hit his head on the steering wheel pretty hard so the paramedics wanted to take him to the hospital to have him checked over. The problem was that Caldwell is one of our canine handlers and he had his partner with him at the time. The police on the scene called animal services to pick up Matilda."
"I take it Matilda is his dog," Steve asked.
She nodded and continued. "When Fury got word about what had happened, he asked me to go pick her up from animal services and deliver her to Caldwell's house."
"Why you?"
"I was in the area and was the closest person authorized to pick up SHIELD property," she told him.
He nodded his understanding and she continued.
"I was in the back, waiting for them to bring her back to me when one of their trucks came in with a load of strays they had picked up. Most of the guys were really nice, telling the dogs and cats that they were going to get them cleaned up and fed and let the vet look them over and then maybe they would get adopted. There was this one attendant, though, who was quite nasty. When he grabbed this one out of the truck, it took a swipe at him and he threw the cage across the floor."
Steve looked at her in disbelief.
"He didn't see me watching and the other guys were occupied. He took the carrier and shoved it under the counter, telling it that he'd 'take care of it' when he got it home," she told him.
They both looked over at the carrier. There was no sign of movement. At that moment, Bucky wandered in, having made use of the pet entrance installed in Maria's apartment door, and stopped to sniff at the cage again. When it's occupant yowled again, the dog went over to settle down next to Steve. He petted him, then returned to work assembling the tree.
"When the guy went into another room, I pulled the thing out so I could have a look at it. I figured that if the other attendants knew it was there, they'd make sure it was properly taken care of," she told him.
"So how did you end up bringing it home?" Steve asked.
"The guy came back and found me so I told him that I wanted it. He tried to convince me to come back when the adoption center was open and I could get a 'nice little kitty,' but I told him I wanted this one."
She paused a moment. "And I really did."
Steve cocked his head curiously. "Why? Other than to annoy the jerk?"
"I looked at him," she said with a shrug.
"He's that cute?"
"No. He's actually pretty ugly. There was just something about him." She looked over, directing Steve's gaze to where two front paws had emerged from the door. Several scars were visible, reminders of the tough life the animal had experienced.
"When someone brought Matilda out, I explained that I wanted to adopt this cat and they told me that they'd get him cleaned up, checked out, microchipped, and neutered and I could pick him up in a couple of days. I also told him about the way the attendant had acted. He denied it, of course, but it had all been caught on tape, so he was taken care of as well."
"Neutered him as well?" Steve asked with a wry grin.
"Without anesthesia?" Maria added, matching his grin.
Construction project completed, Steve stowed his tools back in the box while Maria stowed the extra litter and supplies in the room closet. She pulled out a package of little plastic balls with bells inside and a stick with a feather on the end. She rolled the balls toward the carrier where they were ignored.
Steve moved over to sit on the floor beside her, both watching the crate for any further signs of life. A nose peeked out, whiskers twitching.
"Does he have a name?" Steve asked.
Maria paused, just a moment, then shook her head. "I guess I'll just call him 'Cat.' I figure that's what he's been called and it's not like he's going to answer anyway. After all, he's a cat."
Bucky laid down next to Maria, resting his head on her lap. She stroked his head with one hand while Steve clasped the other. Finally, their patience was rewarded as a large, black head emerged, then the rest of the cat. With a casual flick of his tail, he crossed to the feeding station, sampling the food and taking a long drink before dashing across the room and up the carpeted tree.
From the top, he glared at them for a moment, then lifted his leg and started grooming himself.
"Um, Maria?"
Steve's voice barely concealed his amusement.
"Don't say it, Steve."
"But"
She turned to glare at him, holding up a finger to forestall any further comment. "Don't say it. Don't even think it."
He looked back at the animal, biting his lower lip. "Yes, dear."
She rolled to her feet, reaching into a bag to pull out the collar she had purchased for him. "I suppose we'd better see Pepper about getting one of those chips for him."
After ascertaining from JARVIS that most of the team and their pets were exercising in the special park-like area set aside for them, Steve and Maria went upstairs to join them, leaving Bucky and Cat to get acquainted.
"You think they'll be all right together?" Maria worried.
"I'm sure they will be," Steve assured her. "Cat seems content on the top of his tree and Bucky can always leave if he wants to."
Tony was working with Calista, putting her through a series of commands. Though she still had plenty of work to do, she showed definite improvement in her obedience training. Pepper watched, offering encouragement to both. Katya played tug-o-war with Thor while Clint and Nat watched. Bruce sat at the picnic table, working on his laptop while Brody played with his shoelaces. The scientist looked up as they joined him at the table, nodding a greeting.
"Fully recovered, Agent Hill?" he asked.
"I am, Doctor Banner. Thanks for checking up on me," she told him.
"My pleasure," he responded with a shy smile before returning to his computer.
When Claire brought up a tray with lemonade and cookies, the others slowly drifted over and took seats around the table as the dogs refreshed themselves at their individual bowls.
"Noble beast," Thor declared, patting the big rottweiler on her head.
Maria pulled out the treats she had purchased and, with their owners' permission, passed them around. Katya sniffed at her, giving her a curious look, but took her rawhide and plopped down by Natasha's feet. As the canine crew gnawed contentedly, the humans refreshed themselves as well.
"Where's the Buckster?" Tony asked.
Steve looked quickly at Maria. "He's downstairs."
"He's okay, isn't he?" Clint asked, his question reflecting the concern of the entire group. Though each of the animals technically belonged to a specific person, the whole household looked out for all the pets. Even Tony and Katya had reached a peace accord.
"He's fine," Steve assured them, glancing again at Maria.
She sighed. "He's getting to know the new housemate."
The group around the table looked at each other, smiles starting to spread across their faces. Tony walked over to a cabinet, took something from a drawer, and returned to the table.
"I guess you'll be needing one of these chips for the collar," he grinned.
She reached out and took it, quickly fastening it to the collar she had brought with her.
"For the dog that you're never getting," he continued.
"JARVIS has a program where he can keep track of all the pertinent information, microchip information, vaccination and medication schedule," Pepper told her.
"And just for your information, Stark, I certainly did not get a dog," she told the group defiantly. "I got a cat."
"Just how did that happen?" Natasha asked.
Maria sighed. "I'm not entirely sure. I had to go to animal services to pick up one of the SHIELD canines and I saw this cat and something about him just caught my attention."
Bruce was looking towards the doorway, fighting a laugh. "I can't imagine what."
Everyone turned to look as Bucky strolled in. He was followed by a large, black cat. The dogs all jumped up, surrounding them, barking at the new arrival who growled and hissed his response. Maria started to jump up, but Steve placed a hand on her arm to stop her.
"Let's see," he told her softly.
After several tense moments of posturing, Katya turned to look at Bucky who had taken his place at Steve's feet, working on one of the pig ears Maria had dropped for him.
The big dog snorted at the cat, then turned and returned to her own rawhide. The other two dogs followed her lead, leaving the cat sitting alone. After licking down his ruffled fur, he strolled over, gathering himself and leaping up to the edge of the table. With a glare at everyone at the table, he got busy with the work of grooming.
Everyone studied him, having various degrees of success at fighting off the smiles.
"Does he have a name?" Pepper posed.
"Cat," Maria supplied. "Just 'Cat'."
"Okay."
"There's something familiar about his visage," Thor supplied thoughtfully.
The solid, midnight black cat had clearly had a difficult life. Part of one ear was missing and scars crisscrossed his face, most of them concentrated on the left side. He had apparently lost that eye at some point, the lid healed closed.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Maria said, glaring at Thor, then at the others.
The large Norse god didn't get the hint.
"But there is," he insisted. "He bears a striking resemblance to,"
"Please don't say it," Maria pleaded.
Bruce couldn't resist.
"It's Nick Furry!"
It's okay to groan. I did. Having a rescue cat myself, I figured it was time to add a feline to the mix and she did say she wouldn't be getting a dog. I enjoyed writing this and hope you enjoyed reading it as well. Please let me know what you thought. I really love reviews and reviewers.
More to come.